Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, was first discovered in 1948. Roughly 50 percent of this water-soluble vitamin is stored in the liver and the other half is transported to other tissues. Vitamin B12 serves as a cofactor for two different enzymes. It is necessary for normal blood formation and neurological function. Vitamin B12 also maintains the sheath, or covering, that surrounds and protects nerve fibers and promotes their normal growth.

Vitamin B12 can be found in many kinds of seafood, including clams, oysters, Dungeness crab, tuna, and halibut, as well as in beef, liver, milk, yogurt, pork chops, frankfurters, eggs, chicken, and ice cream.

The Benefits of Vitamin B12
Heart Disease - B12, in conjunction with folate and vitamin B6, helps to lower blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, a risk factor for heart disease.

HIV/AIDS - There is high prevalence of low vitamin B12 levels in people with HIV. In one study, researchers found that individuals with low B12 blood levels had a faster progression from HIV to AIDS, compared to those with adequate B12 blood levels. In fact, low blood levels of vitamin B12 were associated with a nearly twofold increase in risk of progression to AIDS. However, whether or not B12 supplementation would slow the progression of the disease is not yet known.

Depression - In new research from the Women's Health and Aging Study, older women with vitamin B12 deficiency appear to be more prone to depression. Experts studied 700 women aged 65 and older, and those with a B12 deficiency were more than twice as likely to suffer from severe depression than women without a deficiency. Evidently, a lack of B12 may cause a buildup or alteration of chemicals in the brain involved with mood.